Marathon Cheater

April 21, 1980 - On this day Rosie Ruiz was the first female to finish the 84th Boston Marathon, but she was later stripped of the victory when it was determined that she had cheated.

Marathon watchers were shocked when Ruiz came out of nowhere to finish the race in record time (2:31:56). Reporters and fans swarmed around Ruiz and virtually ignored the real winner, Jacqueline Gareau of Canada, who crossed the finish line a few minutes later.

There was plenty of suspicion right off the bat as Ruiz didn't appear very fatigued after the 26.2 mile race. Ruiz explained to a reporter that she was feeling especially spry that day:

I got up with a lot of energy this morning.

Her story quickly unraveled when it turned out she had taken the subway and jumped off a mile or so from the finish line.